User blog:SPARTAN 119/Game of Thrones Season 5 Release Special: Night's Watch (Game of Thrones) vs Uruk-Hai (Lord of the Rings)
The Uruk-Hai, the orc-human hybrids that crushed the foes of Sauron and Saruman during the War of the Ring. VS The Night's Watch, the brave men who defend Westeros from the Wildings and White Walkers that lurk beyond the Wall WHO IS DEADLIEST!? =Uruk Hai= The Uruk-hai, described as very large black orcs of great strength, first appeared from Mordor about the year 2475 of the Third Age, when they briefly took Ithilien and the city of Osgiliath. These original Uruks were of Sauron's breeding, but Saruman bred his own as well. All Uruks were larger and stronger than other breeds of orc and consequently looked down upon and often bullied them. In The Two Towers, Aragorn observes that the fallen Uruk-hai at Amon Hen were not like any breed of orc he has seen before. Treebeard speculates that Saruman had crossbred Orcs and Men. These orcs, who named themselves "the fighting Uruk-hai", made up a large part of Saruman's army, together with the Dunlendings and other human enemies of Rohan. They were faster, stronger, and larger than normal orcs, and could travel during the day without being weakened, although they still did not like it. Saruman fed them with human flesh. Saruman's Uruk-hai fought against the Rohirrim at the Battles of the Fords of Isen, at the first of which King Théoden's son Théodred was killed, and at the Battle of the Hornburg, where the vast majority of the Uruks were defeated and destroyed. The chapter "The Uruk-hai" details some differences among the orcs. The orc party included orcs from Mordor led by Grishnákh, Saruman's "fighting Uruk-hai" from Isengard led by Uglúk, and "northerners", orcs from Moria. It was the dead Uruks from Isengard whom Aragorn found remarkable. The Uruk-hai of Isengard were the tallest of these orcs, and had large hands and thick, straight legs, while the orcs of Mordor are described as bow-legged. Although the Isengarders still did not like the light of the sun, they could withstand it, unlike other orcs. The orcs of Mordor were all long-armed and crook-legged, not as tall as the Isengarders but larger and more powerful than the orcs from Moria. The orcs of Moria in turn could see better in the dark than the Isengarders. Grishnákh from Mordor is described as very broad but shorter than Uglúk. In The Return of the King, the orcs Shagrat and Gorbag are identified as Uruk-hai of Mordor and are described in terms similar to Grishnákh and his troops. Throughout The Lord of the Rings, differences in the equipment and heraldry of Uruks and other orcs are described. Uruks and other orcs in the service of Barad-dûr used the symbol of the red Eye of Sauron. The orcs of Mordor referred to Sauron as the Great Eye, and the Red Eye was painted on their shields. In contrast, Aragorn comments that the Uruk-hai of Saruman were not equipped in the manner of other orcs at all: instead of curved scimitars, they used short broad-bladed swords; and they wore iron helms marked with the Elf-rune Certh 35.svg which had the value of "S". It was clear the "S" stood for Saruman, considering Sauron's general desire not to have his name written or spoken. Saruman's Uruks used black shields emblazoned with a white hand, a symbol of Saruman. The book speculates that various hybrids of Orcs and Men, possibly including the Uruk-hai, are under Saruman's command, including in the Shire. Some of these called "half-orcs" in The Two Towers, were sallow-skinned, squint-eyed and as tall as men. Merry describes them as "horrible: man-high, but with goblin-faces", thus implicitly contrasting them with Orcs and Saruman's Uruk-hai. An account of the first Battle of the Fords of Isen in Unfinished Tales apparently treats Uruk-hai and "orc-men" separately. Order of Battle *Leader: Lurtz *1800 Uruk-Hai *200 Berserkers *20 Mangonels *Gunpowder Charges =Night's Watch= The Night's Watch are a military order in George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire novels and the TV adaptation Game of Thrones dedicated to defending the northern frontiers of Westeros from the "Wildlings" beyond the wall, as well as the mysterious "White Walkers", though, as of the War of the Five Kings, they had not been seen for thousands of years. According to legend, the order was first founded 8000 years prior to the War of the Five Kings, after the construction of the 700 foot tall ice wall by Northern king Bran the Builder. The Watch was tasked with maintaining the Wall and defending it from attacks by Wildlings or White Walkers. For this purpose, 18 castles were constructed along the length of the Wall, to be manned by the warriors of the Night's Watch. The brothers of the Night's Watch, famed for their black cloaks, earning them the nicknames "crows" by the Wildlings, make a lifelong commitment to serve in the Watch, and are not permitted to hold lands, inherit wealth, or marry. Members of the Watch may not leave their posts on the Wall without permission, under penalty of death. Joining the Night's Watch also absolves the recruit of all crimes they may have committed. The Watch was initially considered a prestigious organization, and members of nobles houses who volunteered to join were considered to be selflessly sacrificing for the good of realm. However, in time, the number of recruits dwindled with the decrease in frequency of Wildling attacks and the apparent extinction of the White Walkers. By the time of Jon Snow joined the Watch in shortly before the War of the Five Kings, the Watch was mostly populated by criminals who were exiled to the wall, disinherited nobles ordered to leave for the Wall or die, orphans, and other social outcasts. The size of the Watch had declined to a total strength of less than 700, and only three of the original 18 castles along the wall were manned, Eastwatch by Sea, Castle Black, and the Shadow Tower. The brothers of the Night's Watch are divided between the Rangers, the primary combat unit, also tasked with patrolling the lands beyond the Wall, the Builders, tasked with maintaining the Wall and the castles, and the Stewards, who act as cooks, blacksmiths etc. While not frontline combat troops, the Builders or Stewards may be forced to engage in combat if their post is attacked. The Watch is led by the Lord Commander, who serves for life, and is elected by the Watchmen upon the death of the previous Lord Commander. After the death of Lord Commander Joer Mormont, Jon Snow took command of the Watch, leading the defense of Castle Black against a Wildling attack, holding out long enough for his men to be reinforced by Stannis Baratheon's army. Presently, Jon is forced to contend with the presence of Stannis, a rival claimant for the throne of Westeros at the wall, as well as the threat of a second Wildling attack and the return of the White Walkers. Order of Battle and Defenses *Leader: Jon Snow *Ghost (Jon's direwolf) *500 Watchmen- divided between top of the Wall and Castle Black *20 Ballistae *Oil Barrels The Wall and Castle Black The Wall is a 700-foot tall wall of ice, said to have been constructed with the help of giants. Accessing the top with a manually-operated elevator, the Nights Watch stations archers on top of the wall. With the extra height of the wall, the archers can gain a range advantage of perhaps as much as 100 meters, and are beyond the range of enemy arrow fire. The land forests on the north side of the wall have been cleared up to the range of a bowshot from the top of the wall- about 300-400 meters. The Night's Watch also mount ballistae on top of the wall, firing large bolts at even greater ranges, and with the power to bring down multiple men- or a giant- in one shot. If attackers make it past the ballista and arrow fire, the Watch have placed wooden hoardings overlooking the foot of the wall, allowing them to fire arrows and drop objects onto attackers below. In addition to chunks of ice, rocks, thrown spears, and downward fired arrow, the Night's Watch have also set up a number of ramps, off which can be rolled casks of oil filled with a fuse, acting as firebombs, proving devastating against an enemy. If an attacker attempts to climb the wall, The Scythe, a bladed anchor mounted on a chain, can be swung down to cut them down as they attempt to scale the wall, however, the effort needed to return The Scythe to position prohibits it from being dropped more than once in a siege. The wall's great size means that any form of pre-gunpowder artillery is incapable of breaching it- in fact, from the look of it, it would probably stand up to anything short of the heaviest modern artillery and aerial bombardment! The tunnel leading through the wall, however, is guarded by a heavy, but by no means unbreakable wooden portcullis on both the north and south side. The tunnel is, itself, protected by Night's Watchmen armed with bows, as well as melee weapons should the enemy break through. If an attacker makes it through the Wall, they will find themselves in the middle courtyard of Castle Black, surrounded on all sides by archer and crossbowmen on the walls and towers. Castle Black is a relatively small castle back up against the southern side of the wall. The castle is constructed of stone, with multiple towers mounting crossbowmen, archers, and, for the purposes of this match, a few ballistae as well. The towers are placed such that the archers can easily fire both on the the outside of castle and the inside, where the south gate to the wall is located- if the North gate is breached, the attackers will find themselves in the middle of Castle Black, surrounded by archer-manned towers on all sides. =Weapons= Swords Uruk-Hai Scimitar (Uruk) The primary weapon of the Uruk-Hai is a rectangular-tipped sword often referred to as a scimitar, though it looks more like a broad, single edged straight sword with a rectangular tip that turns 90 degrees into a point. The weapon is about a meter in length. The weapon appears more crudely made than other swords, but nonetheless, can be lethal in the right hands. The weapon appears to be designed with slashing attacks in mind, as it lacks a real point for thrusting. Westerossi Longsword (Watch) The Westerossi Longsword is, for all intents and purposes, identical to its European counterpart. The term "longsword" refers to a longer sword than the arming sword, while having the same basic shape of the arming sword, but having a length of up to about one and a half meters, designed more for thrusting, but still capable of cutting. The sword was used from the mid 1300s to the mid 1500s. The weapon was also known as a "hand and a half", as it can be used one or two handed. 119's Edge The Night's Watch's Westerossi Longsword for its greater versatility, being able to cut and thrust equally well. Two-Handed Swords Berserker Sword (Uruk) Some Uruk-Hai, known as Berserkers fight by wildly swinging long, two-handed sword with a pickaxe- style head on the end. This design allows the pick end to be used to pierce armor, but means the blade cannot be used for thrusting at all, and that it is probably rather top-heavy. The blade has a length of about 4-5 feet, and is wielded by the strongest of Uruk-Hai. Westerossi Greatsword (Watch) The Westerossi greatsword is similar in appearance to either a Scottish Claymore or an Irish Gallowglass longsword. The weapons were both between four and five feet in length, and had a broad, double-edged blade tapering to a point. The greatsword was used primarily in powerful slashing attacks, capable of cleaving through armor and even cutting the legs off a horse. 119's Edge The Night Watch's Westerossi Greatsword takes a the edge for its more balanced, easy-to-handle design. Axes Uruk-Hai Axe The Uruk-Hai use a bearded battle axe similar to a real-world Viking Axe. The blade is narrower than woodcutting axe, to allow it to be swung in a battle for extended periods. The beard on the blade would be able to hook and pull away a shield or weapon. Westerossi Battle Axe (Watch) Some of the Night's Watch prefer battle axes to swords. Like the Uruk-Hai, they use broad-bladed bearded axes with a relatively thin blade compared to a woodcutting axe. The weapon resembles a Viking bearded axe, and could be used to hook and disarm as well as cut. 119's Edge The two weapons are essentially the same thing. Even Pike (Both) A pike is, quite simply, a long spear. In the Middle Ages, pikes were found to be effective, cheap anti-cavalry weapons when used in formation, which could easily be used by peasants with little training. As such, pikes were used extensively by the Scots, the Flemish, and the Swiss in the 1300s. The weapons also make an appearance in both Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones. Bows Composite Bow (Uruk) The Orcs of Mordor use a type of composite shortbow painted black, and seeming to be lesser in performance to other bows featured in the series, though this could possibly be due to the lower skill of Orc archers. Longbow (Watch) The people of Westeros use a longbow similar to the British longbow of the real world. The English longbow, also known as the Welsh longbow, is a well-known bow and arrow known for its use by British forces in the Hundred Years War at battles such as Crecy and Agincourt. The longbow was generally about five to six feet long, the length allowing for greater draw strength. The bow is described by a period source, Gaston III, count of Foix in 1380 as "of yew or boxwood, seventy inches m between the points of attachment for the cord". The bow was used in warfare in England from about 1280 to 1600. The weapon saw extensive use first by Welsh rebels against the English, and later British forces in various conflicts including the invasion of Scotland and later the Hundred Years War. The Longbow saw limited use in the English Civil War, however, by then, it had been largely supplanted by the Matchlock Musket. Crossbows Repeating Crossbow (Uruk) The Uruk-Hai's repeating crossbow is a pump-action weapon, capable of firing multiple bolts from a magazine. While it is not known how large the magazine is, it will be assumed to be five bolts. The weapon will be assumed to be like Chinese repeating crossbows- high rate of fire, but lower range and power. Crossbow (Watch) The Nights Watch have been seen to use crossbows in combat. The crossbow appears to be similar to medieval European design. The real medieval crossbow had a range of 270 meters, though the effective combat range would likely be about only half that and could fire two bolts every minute. For the purposes of this match, the Uruk-Hai and Westerossi crossbows will be able to do the same. 119's Edge While the Westerossi crossbow is more powerful, I give the edge to the faster ROF of the Uruk-Hai's Repeating crossbows. Siege Engines Mangonel (Uruk) A Mangonel is a torsion catapult used during the Middle Ages, using a twisted skein of rope to fire a projectile up to about 300-400 meters. The weapon could fire a number of different types of ammunition, large rocks being the most common, though infected corpses and flaming projectiles were also known to be fired. In one of the video games, the Uruk-Hai also fired gunpowder charges from their mangonels, and will be able to do so in this battle. Ballista (Watch) The ballista is a siege engine similar in appearance to a giant crossbow. The ballista was invented around the 4th century BC, and used first be the ancient Greeks and later by the ancient Romans. The weapon differed from a true crossbow in that its "bow" part consisted of two arms held in twisted skeins of ropes, using the torsion of the ropes to store energy. The Night's Watch mounted ballistae on top of the Wall 119's Edge While I would normally give this to the superior power of the mangonel, but one must remember that the ballista is on top of a 700-foot wall of ice, meaning it is firing down, giving it superior range and momentum. On the other hand, while the gunpowder charges may not have the firepower to take down the Wall itself, they would certainly do severe damage to the (normal-sized) walls of Castle Black, as well as blow open the Gate through the Wall itself. For this reason, I'll call this even, at least for now. Explosives Gunpowder Charge (Uruk) During the siege of Helms Deep, the Uruk-Hai used gunpowder charges against the walls of the fortress, placing the charges into a weak point in the walls, and then manually igniting them- a process which killed the orc charged with lighting them. Given the massive size of the Wall (over 700 feet tall, and at least a dozen meters thick), it is unlikely to be brought down in such of manner unless the orcs pile a massive number of charges in the tunnel through the wall. On the other hand, the charges would easily bring down the (normal-sized) walls of Castle Black, and force open the Gate to the tunnel through the Wall. At this point, they can enter the inner courtyard of Castle Black. Oil Barrel (Watch) During the TV series version of the Siege of Castle Black, the Night's Watch dropped barrels of oil equipped with a fuse on the beseiging Wildlings, rolling them off a wooden ramp. When the barrels hit the ground, they exploded into flames- similar to oversized Molotov cocktails. 119's Edge The Uruk-Hai's gunpowder charges for their far greater power. =Leaders= Lurtz (Uruk-Hai) Lurtz was the first of Saruman's Uruks to be bred, choking the first orc he sees to death within seconds of his birth. Attempting to intervene, other orcs move towards the newly born Uruk-Hai warrior, but Saruman halts their advance, intrigued by the malice and violence present in the Uruk's blood, leaving the unfortunate orc to its fate. He became Saruman's second-in-command, and led them into battle against the Fellowship of the Ring at Amon Hen. Lurtz was born from the first batch of Uruk-hai in Isengard's pits, and so was much smarter and stronger than the later breeds which were bred more quickly, presumably so Saruman could amass an army more quickly; they likely developed to their fullest potential. Given that he gave orders to the other Uruks at the Amon Hen and given that he was given private audience with Saruman, he could presumably be called the strongest, smartest and most loyal of all of Saruman's Uruk-hai warriors. In the original books, Boromir is slain by orc archers, described as having been "pierced by many arrows". In the movie he is killed by Lurtz, who shoots him three times in the chest. Aragorn intervenes, tackling Lurtz to the ground before he could fire the finishing shot at the Gondorian captain, and after a brief but intense fight, cuts off Lurtz's right arm, stabs him in the stomach, and finally decapitates the Uruk leader. Uruk-Hai Scimitar The primary weapon of the Uruk-Hai is a rectangular-tipped sword often referred to as a scimitar, though it looks more like a broad, single edged straight sword with a rectangular tip that turns 90 degrees into a point. The weapon is about a meter in length. The weapon appears more crudely made than other swords, but nonetheless, can be lethal in the right hands. The weapon appears to be designed with slashing attacks in mind, as it lacks a real point for thrusting. Composite Bow The Orcs of Mordor use a type of composite shortbow painted black, and seeming to be lesser in performance to other bows featured in the series, though this could possibly be due to the lower skill of Orc archers. Jon Snow (Night's Watch) John Snow is a major character in George R.R. Martin's novel series A Song of Fire and Ice, and the television adaptation, A Game of Thrones. Jon is the bastard son of Eddard "Ned" Stark, Lord of Winterfell and the 998th commander of the Night's Watch, a unit dedicated to guarding The Wall, a massive, ancient structure that separates the Seven Kingdoms from the the lands Beyond the Wall, controlled by tribes known as "wildlings" in the Seven Kingdoms, as well as a mysterious non-human race known as the White Walkers. Jon made an expedition beyond to the wall to spy on the "wildling" king Mance Rayder, and discovered that the wildlings were being forced southward by the White Walkers, and that Rayder has gathered an army of over 100 tribes of wildlings, as well as a giants and mammoths to lay seige to the wall. During his time with the wildlings, Jon also falls in love with one of their women, Ygritte, however, his duty as a member of the Night's Watch forces him to leave her. A furious Ygritte shoots Jon with an arrow, but he survives and makes it back to wall. Jon leads the defense of The Wall against the wildling besiegers at the Battle of Castle Black, in the process killing one of their leaders, Styr, using a blacksmith's hammer after having been disarmed in close combat. Under Jon's leadership, the Night's Watch hold out until reinforced by cavalry under Stannis Baratheon. Longclaw Jon Snow's primary weapon is Longclaw, a Valyrian Steel bastard sword gifted to him by Lord Commander Mormont. The weapon is about three and a half feet long, with double edge. Like all blades of Valyrian Steel, Longclaw is supernaturally sharp, never requiring sharpening, and durable. In spite of this, it should be noted that, while it has superior armor penetration, a Valyrian blade CANNOT simply cut through another sword, for instance. Longbow The people of Westeros use a longbow similar to the British longbow of the real world. The English longbow, also known as the Welsh longbow, is a well-known bow and arrow known for its use by British forces in the Hundred Years War at battles such as Crecy and Agincourt. The longbow was generally about five to six feet long, the length allowing for greater draw strength. The bow is described by a period source, Gaston III, count of Foix in 1380 as "of yew or boxwood, seventy inches m between the points of attachment for the cord". The bow was used in warfare in England from about 1280 to 1600. The weapon saw extensive use first by Welsh rebels against the English, and later British forces in various conflicts including the invasion of Scotland and later the Hundred Years War. The Longbow saw limited use in the English Civil War, however, by then, it had been largely supplanted by the Matchlock Musket. Ghost (Direwolf) Ghost is a direwolf, a species of wolf in the world of Game of Thrones/Ice and Fire, based on the real-world Pleistocene wolf species, the dire wolf. The direwolves in the world of Game of Thrones can reach the size of a tiger or a pony when fully grown, and are can be very dangerous predators. Even a juvenile direwolf can easily kill a human, and when fully grown, they are easily capable of literally ripping a man's arm off. Direwolves are also highly intelligent, and, when raised from a young age by humans, and are fiercely loyal to their masters. Ghost is an albino direwolf, one of six given to the Stark children. While Ghost was originally the runt of the litter, he later grew to become as large as his brothers and sisters. Ghost spent much of his life with Jon, though they were separated for about a year when Ghost refused to enter the home of the nominally allied (but morally reprehensible) Wildling Craster, presumably due to the presence of White Walkers nearby. Ghost later encounters Bran Stark, Jon's half brother, who was traveling north in search of a three-eyed raven in his visions, along with Hodor, Jojen and Meera Reed, and Bran's direwolf, Summer. Bran's and his companions, including both direwolves com captured by the rogue Night's Watchman, Karl Tanner, and held in Craster's Keep. Bran and the others, however, escape, freeing Ghost in the process, who is reunited with Jon, who leads a raid on the on the rogue Watchmen's camp. Tanner and other Night's Watch mutineers are killed in battle, with Ghost himself killing one of the mutineers. Ghost returns to the Wall with Jon Snow, and fights alongside him in the Siege of Castle Black, killing at least one Wildling raider. Throughout his life, Ghost has engaged in combat with both human adversaries, as well as Wights, the undead servants of the White Walkers. =X-Factors= Leaders Non-Quantifiable *Jon Snow will be accompanied by his direwolf companion, Ghost, meaning that essentially, if you want to fight Jon, you also have to fight his pet wolf who will rip the throat out of anyone who tries to harm him! Explanations In terms of training, Jon was trained in swordsmanship and also practiced archery, as many Westerossi nobles, particularly those in the rough northern lands are, while Lurtz was trained from the moment he was literally spawned from a pit as a leader of Saruman's elite fighting force. In terms of experience, I give Jon a slight edge, as he managed to hold out against greater odds and simply survived longer than Lurtz. Now, the Uruk-Hai aren't stupid, like it could be said with the orcs of the Tolkien Mythos, but they are still not particularly bright, so I give Jon an edge in intelligence. Jon also showed far greater leadership skills, leading from the front and inspiring his men, while it is implied Uruk-Hai leaders like Lurtz lead through fear- simply by being the strongest. In terms of strength, Lurtz takes an edge, but only a slight one, as humans in good physical conditon have been able to fight on even terms with Uruk-Hai, and humans also seem to be more agile than the Uruk-Hai. In terms of weapons, Jon takes the definite edge for his supernaturally strong and sharp Valyrian steel sword, as well as his more powerful longbow. As for armor, both of them wear a breastplate, and not a particularly good quality one- given the Night's Watch poor logistics and the Uruk-Hai's poorer metallurgy, but not much else, making it even. Troops Non-Quantifiable *The Night's Watch have a superb defensive position, with 700-foot tall, at least 20 meters thick ice Wall-practically indestructible to anything the Uruk-Hai, which will likely only be vulnerable to attack at the one tunnel through the wall. Once on the other side of the tunnel, the Uruk-Hai will fight them in the courtyard of Castle Black, and be fired down on by the archers in the towers. *The Uruk-Hai outnumber the Night's Watch. Explanations The Uruk-Hai are the elite fighting force of Saruman, and are thus well trained and experienced in battle, whereas, by the time Jon Snow joined the Watch, it was mostly a dumping ground of criminals and other exiles. This means the Uruk-Hai will have greater training and combat experience than the Watch. The men of the Watch, however, are probably more intelligent than your average Uruk-Hai, and definitely have the better leader in Jon Snow. The Uruk-Hai have a slightly higher level of strength, but the men of the Watch are probably a bit more agile on average. The Uruk-Hai however, are also incapable of feeling fear. As for armor, see the argument for the leaders above. =Notes= *The Uruk-Hai will attack from north of the Wall, and have to break through the gates to the tunnel, and seize Castle Black. The Watch will have to hold the Wall and Castle. *If the leader of either side is killed, but they still achieve their objective, it still counts as a win for the respective side. *Archers on both sides will be able to use fire arrow against enemy siege engines and structures. *The wall is so large that only way the Uruk-Hai's gunpowder charges would have any chance of collapsing it would be to place at least dozens (probably hundreds) no easy task, as the Watch will move to repel them. On the other hand, in the unlikely even the Wall does collapse, it would no doubt fall on Castle Black and destroy it. Gunpowder charges fired from mangonels wouldn't bring down the wall itself, but may destroy the gate, and, if they can fire high enough, destroy defenses on top of the Wall. *The Uruk-Hai will have no Oleg-Hai, warg riders, or other creatures in support. The Night's Watch will have no cavalry. =Battle= *Uruk-Hai: 2000 + 20 Mangonels *Nights Watch: 500 + 20 Ballistae Late night, The Wall' Lurtz, leader of the Saruman's Uruk-Hai, stood next to his battery of 20 mangonels, which were, along with the rest of his forces, positioned a few hundred meters from the massive Ice Wall before them. This wall stood between them and the kingdoms of men they had been sent to conquer. As the last mangonel was loaded with one of Saruman's new weapons- charges of gunpowder, Lurtz gave the order: "Light the charges and loose!" An Uruk armed with a torch lit the fuse the explosive projectiles with a torch, before a second orc pulled the lever on the side of the catapults. With a snapping sound, the arms of the mangonels sprung forward, before slamming into the crossbeam, sending their payloads through the air. The explosive charges slammed into the Wall and exploded in a flash of flame and smoke, blowing cracks and craters into the Wall, but nowhere near enough to bring down the great structure of ice. "The charges don't seem to be strong enough, my lord", One of the Uruks manning the nearest catapult. "Fools!", Lurtz yelled furiously, "Aim for the gate". Meanwhile, on top of the Wall, Jon Snow stood with about 250 men of the Watch, all armed with longbows or crewing ballistae. "What was that!?", one of the Watchmen asked as the Uruk's charges exploded, "Wildfire?" "There's now way the Wildlings would have Wildfire", "I don't know what it is... and I don't think these are Wildlings", Jon said, "but if that stuff is anything like Wildfire, flaming arrows might be able to set it off" A moment later, Jon set fire to an arrow for his own bow, before giving the command, "Nock your arrows..." "Draw...." As he gave the command, Jon did the same with his own bow, holding it level- the sheer height of the Wall would give it the distance to strike their foes. "LOOSE!". At once, 250 archers of the Nights watch and 15 ballistae let loose a swarm of flaming arrows and ballista bolts, which rained down own the Uruk-Hai. 700 feet below the Watchmen, most of the flaming arrows missed, extinguishing themselves in the snow ground at the foot of the Wall. A few of them went through gaps the Uruk-Hai's armor, killing or at least wounding the Uruks. When the ballista bolts hit an Uruk, they impaled the creature, passing through its armor like it wasn't there. But it was ballista both that hit no one that did the most damage to the Uruk-Hai. One of the flaming ballista bolts impacted a stack of black powder charges. Immediately, the pile of charges exploded in flash of flame that splintered the frames of five Uruk-Hai mangonels, hurled the mangled bodies of Uruk-Hai through the air like ragdolls, and even blew down a few nearby trees. Seconds later, several flaming arrows impacted another stack of charges with similar results. Between the two explosions, over 100 Uruk-Hai were dead. Cheers erupted up and down the wall as they saw their foe's secret weapons literally go up in flames. What they men of the Night's Watch did not expect was for the remaining Uruk-Hai catapults to keep firing as, this time sending several gunpowder charges towards the gate to the tunnel in the wall. Three of the explosives hit their mark, splintering the North gate to the wall. As the smoke cleared, both sides knew what had to come next. Lurtz stood before his army and raised his rectangular bladed "scimitar" and pointed it forward, yelling "Forward Uruk-Hai, we will feast on the flesh of our enemies!" The roar of thousands of shouting, charging Uruk-Hai filled the air as the warriors of Saruman charged forth with a thirst for blood, waving swords, axes, and spears in their hands. As 2000 murderous, bloodthirsty orcs bore down on the Wall, the Nights Watch stood at their stations on the top. Jon Snow made his way up and down the Wall, urging on his men. "Keep shooting!", Jon yelled, "This Wall has stood for 8000 years, It's not falling tonight!" As the Uruk-Hai drew close, they were greeted with a storm of arrows. The Watchmen aimed not at any individual Uruk, but at the great black mass that was the orc horde. While some of the arrows landed harmlessly in the ground many an Uruk-Hai was pierced by an arrow, some instantly killing their target, others simply causing them to drop in pain. Those not killed immediately were often trampled by their charging fellows. Occasionally, a ballista bolt would strike home, running an Uruk straight through, and sometimes impaling the man behind him as well. The Uruk-Hai lost another two hundred or so of their number to the arrow and ballista fire before they reached the gate. At that point, the Watchmen rolled a number of barrels of oil with flaming fuse off a wooden ramp. 700 feet below, the oil barrels exploded into flames, setting dozens of Uruk-Hai in the tightly packed mass alight. Some of the Uruks who were struck by the flames were put out of their misery by arrows or chunks of ice and rock dropped from the top of the wall, but most of them writhed in pain for a few seconds until they succumb to the flames or were trampled by their comrades. Showing the fearlessness they were bred for, the Uruk-Hai charged straight through the flames, which were quickly stomped out by the charging horde. The Uruks, however, soon learned, that fearlessness was not a trait they had a monopoly on. Twelve men of the Night's Watch, who were trapped in the tunnel, with the Uruk horde on one side and the portcullis on the other, made one final charge at the wave of Uruk-Hai. Those that had pikes charged first, the points of their spears colliding with the front Uruk ranks, punching through armor and slaying the orc that met the end of their spears. As the Uruk-Hai moved in past the spearpoints, the Watch men drew longswords, axes, and, in one case, a greatsword. The Watchman with the greatsword cleaved through Uruk necks with his giant blade. Meanwhile, his comrades swung their axes or thrust their blades, bearded axe heads chopping through helmets, as longsword blades punched through weak points in armor and into Uruk flesh. Several Berserker Uruk-Hai were the next to face the small group of Watchmen who stood defiant even in the face of certain death. Even the Berserkers, the strongest and deadliest close combatants of the Uruks lost three of their number, before they finally overwhelmed and cut down the Night's Watchmen in the tunnel. But each one of the defenders of the tunnel took at least three orcs with him to their deaths. The sacrifice of the Watchmen in the tunnel was not in vain. For it had bought time for their comrades in Castle Black to gather by the portcullis, armed with bows, crossbows, and pikes. As the horde of Uruk-Hai charged through the tunnel, the Watchmen fired. Arrows and crossbow bolts struck down Uruk after Uruk. Those that were not killed instantly were trampled by their comrades in a mad dash for the Wall. Eventually, the orc horde made it to the gate, but without seige equipment, they could not break through before they were shot down by bows and crossbows or their armor pierced by pikes thrust through the gaps in the portcullis. After about 15 minutes of the assault, the orcs had lost hundreds of their soldiers in the choke point of the tunnel. Seeing nothing to be gained, Lurtz ordered a retreat.... but Uruk-Hai do not retreat out of fear. Lurtz had a plan, and he would be back. For the next few hours, the Uruk-hai would retreat beyond the range of the ballistae on the wall. Lurtz put his soldiers to work reclaiming timbers from the Mangonels destroyed when the flaming arrows set off some of the charges, or else felling trees to provide new materials. A few hours later, Jon Snow had descended from the Wall, into Castle Black. Expecting his foes to attack from the tunnel again, Jon had a ballista placed in sight of the tunnel entrance again, which was now shored up with a wooden cart, numerous barrels, and any other objects they could find to block the gate. Jon's inspection of the defenses was cut short when he heard shouting from the other side of the wall. The enemy was back. Jon rushed along the walls of Castle Black, intending to go back up the manual elevator to the top of the wall. That plan was changed when, suddenly, an explosion rocked the gate, destroying the portcullis and the improvised barricade. Soon after, a sound of wooden wheels could be heard, and out of the tunnel came a mangonel with timbers blocking the front and a wooden roof over the rear, mounted on additional wheels taken from carts or destroyed siege engines. The "medieval mobile artillery" rolled through the entrance of the tunnel, followed by a number of Uruk-Hai crossbowmen. The Uruk crossbowmen fired their pump-action crossbows, cutting down a couple archers on the wall, but the Watchmen returned fire, hitting several of the archers. However, the Uruks repeating crossbows had a superior volume of fire. Jon Snow's close friend, Samwell Tarly, peeked out of a window and raised a crossbow and fired a single shot an Uruk-Hai who lit a gunpowder charge on the mangonel. Seconds later, a ballista bolt skewered the catapult operator. While the bowmen immediately in front of the Uruk crossbowmen were pinned down, the Watchmen in the two towers to either side of the entrance and, indeed, on top of the Wall itself were able to fire their bows and drop rocks and ice chunks on the Uruk-Hai, cutting down the catapult crew and the orc archers before they could act. Meanwhile, the fuse of the gunpowder charge on the catapult still burned. Suddenly, the seige engine was engulfed in a flash of flames. The explosion hurled wooden fragments of the armored catapult all over the courtyard. The Watchmen were protected by the stone walls of Castle Black, but the Uruks were caught in the open, and lost dozens of soldiers, including all of their archers. As the smoke cleared, Jon Snow drew Longclaw from its sheath and yelled, "With me, Castle Black's not falling tonight" Jon led the charge, his direwolf companion, Ghost, not far behind as the Uruks forced their way through the wall. Jon Snow thrust Longclaw forward, the Valyrian blade punching through the armor of the lead Uruk-Hai, a Berserker, and running him through. John pulled the sword out of the body of his foe and swing it at the exposed neck of an Uruk, severing its head. An Uruk-Hai raised his battle axe, ready to bring it down on Jon's head. Instead, the orc found itself tackled to the ground. The last thing the creature saw was a giant white wolf literally ripping its throat out. As Jon and Ghost cut and bit through their foes, the rest of the Watchmen to closed ranks with the Uruks, blades clashing on blades as the two masses of black collided. The Uruk-Hai fought fiercely, but against both the counterattacking Watchmen and the archers, which were still firing at their rear ranks, they could not keep up the momentum of their assault. For every Watchman that fell, there were several orcs. At the head of the assault, Lurtz raised his scimitar, and slashed open the throat of a Watchman, before making a second strike. This strike, however, was parried by the Valyrian blade of Jon Snow. Jon retaliated with a slashing attack. The Valyrian steel blade was strong, but even it could not cut through another sword. Still, it left a deep notch in Lurtz's blade. Furiously, the Uruk-Hai leader tried to make mighty swing at Jon, but in so doing, left his hands open to attack. Jon made a quick cut with Longclaw, the Valyrian steel blade effortless slicing off both of Lurtz's hands. The Uruk leader died with a look of shock on his face as Jon thrust Longclaw through his chest. Even with the loss of their leader, the Uruk-Hai kept coming through the tunnel, but without their commander, they quickly devolved into a disorganized rabble, easily cut down by the archers and the Watchmen defending the courtyard. The last surviving Uruk emerged from the tunnel, only to be struck by a dozen arrows from four different directions. Standing over the remains of hundreds of orcs, the Watch gave a shout of victory, and Ghost let out a loud howl. After the cheers died down, however, the mood instantly became more serious. "Gather the dead north of the wall and build a pyre. I don't know who they are, but I don't want them coming back to attack us again. Collect and usable weapons, armor, or supplies you can find. We'll need them for Winter is Coming", Jon said to the Watchmen. WINNER: Night's Watch Expert's Opinion The Night's Watch won this battle in spite of their inferior numbers mainly because of their strong defensive position on top of the wall, beyond the range of Uruk-Hai seige engines. Even if the gate to the tunnel was destroyed, the tunnel itself would act as a chokepoint, making the Uruk-Hai easy targets for archers on the other end. That, along with the superior leadership of Jon Snow ensured that the Wall would not fall to the Uruk-Hai. To see the original battle, weapons, and votes, click here. Category:Blog posts